What Do Bombardier Beetles Eat?

Bombardier beetles are carnivorous, unlike many other types of ground beetle such as the Japanese beetle which is an herbivore. They eat insects and insect larva, including many species of beetle.

The bombardier beetle is nocturnal in its hunting behavior, and spends the dark hours patrolling the ground for other insects that it can eat. It is competitive with other beetle species and will not hesitate to kill and eat them.

Bombardier beetles often lay their eggs directly on a potential food source such as a rotting animal corpse. When the egg hatches into a larva it can then utilize the source of food for weeks as it develops.

Bombardier beetle larva will also eat the larva of other beetles and insects that are adjacent to it. It is common for a dead animal to be covered with various insect larva, and the bombardier larva will gladly make a meal of them, too.

 Bombardier beetles live in places with plenty of ground cover so that they can hide from both predators and prey. Hidden in the dark of night, they lay in wait for unsuspecting prey to cross their path so that they enjoy a tasty snack.